Our trip to Playa Del Carmen was in one word: AMAZING. Andy and I absolutely loved it there and we have every intention of returning with our sweet girl someday soon. The RH was perfect for a romantic get-a-way for 2 and it was perfect for families with or without small children. I will start off by talking about the resort itself. It was by far the nicest place we have stayed yet and we have been to Maui, Cabo San Lucas, Padre, Puerto Vallarta, St. Maarten, Vegas and a Caribbean Cruise. The Royal Haciendas was hands down, the nicest, cleanest, friendliest resort. Don’t just take my word for it…see for yourself.
Welcome to the Royal Haciendas...
This was our unit. It was just over 1500 sq. ft. Thats bigger than my house! There was a king master suite with a balcony jacuzzi. A full sized decked out kitchen. A huge common living room with 2 pull out murphy beds and a guest room with 2 queen beds and seperate bathroom. It was HUGE and it was BEAUTIFUL.
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This was our view stepping right outside our back door. We had our very own staircase that led down to the pools, activity center and beach.
Beautiful Scenery...
There were 2 huge infinity pools on the property, 4 huge whirlpools, 2 huge kiddie pools and 2 rather large lap pools. I'd say there was plenty of water and sunshine to go around.
Royal Haciendas Beach Front...
These were the gardens...the fountains, the flowers, the colors and the old world charm...it was heaven
Tired? Why not take a nap in one of these comfy hammocks? Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
There were little pools of water just like this all over the property. Of course these were only for the eyes to feast upon and no swimming. I was amazed at how well kept the grounds were. There were maintenance people working round the clock to keep this place looking top notch. The pools were crystal clear, the bathrooms were spotless and even smelled good, the beach showers were constantly being rinsed and maintained. I have never seen such dedicated staff and it really helped to make our vacation a success.
This is a neat night-time picture I took and I like how it turned out :-)
One thing that made this resort such a great place was the fact that you NEVER had to leave if you didnt want to. They offered an onsite grocery store with free delivery and reasonable prices, 2 dining restaurants including room delivery options, a gym and just about anything else you could think of.
The next thing I will talk about is the atmosphere! I can tell ya one thing and that is that Playa comes alive at night…down on 5th Street. It is here you will find bargain shopping, delicious foods and drinks, ice cold gelato, coffee, chocolate, music, the sights, sounds and smells of Playa and the BEST people watching place you will ever see. The streets are cobblestone and it’s a very charming place to roam. The thing I liked the most about downtown Playa was the endless possibilities of places to stop for a bite to eat. There was every kind of food you could imagine…and since going out to eat is my favorite thing about going on vacation, I was in heaven. Here are a few of the places that we chose to try!
On our very first night we stopped at That's Amore and italian eatery right on 5th street. Andy and I shared a Bruschetta dish and a delicious Hawaiian style pizza. It was a very authentic italian restaurant and the entire meal was one of our very favorites. Most dining in Playa is Al-fresco so pair that with a handsome date and a glass of wine and...VOILA
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This is La Parilla, also located on 5th street. This is an aunthentic Mexican kitchen. A friend of mine referred us to this place and we were very glad she did. The food was awesome and the margaritas were strong. I had to enlist the help of my husband to finish off the one drink I ordered! While we were there a Mariachi Band entertained us with the most appropriate song "Tequila" we sang along and shared a few laughs.
The Hubs and I wanted to have a special "date night" just the 2 of us...and we did just that. He took me to Karens Seafood Steak House! Just look at the pictures...the proof is in tha puddin'. This meal smelled good and tasted even better. We chose to sit out close to the street. It was the perfect opportunity to sit, listen to the live music and people watch. It was a nice and relaxing meal just me and my man...
Now...if you ever go to Playa you MUST go here...
This is a Mayan Restaurant and surprise surprise...it was Air-Conditioned. I kinda turned my nose up at first thinking "what tha heck is Mayan food gonna taste like?" Hands down...one of my favorite meals. Mayan food is different, but oh-so-good. We couldn't pronounce anything we ordered, but we sure did devour it once it hit the table. Take a look...
We also ate here...
but everyone knows its not really the food that you pay for, its the atmosphere. The jamming music, hilarious decor, fun wait staff and endless drink possibilities make this a hoppin place to be, especially at night. This Senor Frogs was located right next to the pier and right on the water.
Not the best picture, but the only group shot I have...notice the funny signs...
LOVE these silly chairs at the bar :-)
They had these funny little signs everywhere...this is the one they put at out table! We thought it was funny, but so glad that it's not accurate at all.
People do all kinds of things in Playa to make a dollar. There was a creepy clown that went around the restaurant and made some pretty awesome balloon hats. He could make just about anything. He made me a crown upon request!
Not sure what Bren's hat was, but it was cute!
We didnt actually sit at the bar for dinner, but they had these cute swings...I couldnt pass up the oppurtunity to snap a cute pic of the hubs and I. Speaking of the swings at the bar, I cant help but wonder how dangerous those could become with the crazies who drink too much. I'm sure that's a sight to see.
Okay, now that I’ve told you about all the wonderful places we ate while we were there; let’s talk about what we did while we were there. To be quite honest…we took it easy…most of our time was spent here...
Splishin' and Splashin' in the gorgeous infinity pool that overlooked beautiful blue waters of the Mayan Riviera. These pools were so great because they were warmed to just the "right" temperature. Playa is hot and humid and being poolside was the only way to go.
I LOVE big floppy summertime hats...gotta keep that face protected :-)
Smile Honey...
Brenny Bo and Muah sittin' pretty at poolside...
Swim Up Bar...
Meet swim-up bartenders Lorenzo...
and Raymundo...
These guys were the friendliest and funniest bunch we've seen in a long time. Granted I know it’s their job and it’s where the paycheck is earned, but I genuinely enjoyed leaving tips for these guys because they made our stay even that much better. After our first full day there, they knew us Senor Andy and Senora Terah and they pretty much knew what we preferred to drink as well. They served us well and they made us laugh...ALOT!
This is one of my favorite pictures because Andy is actually smiling :-)
When we weren’t in the pool we did a few other amazing things. Andy and James did several dives with the help of the Dive Balam-Dive shop located at our resort. Andy loves to dive and I am so glad he had the chance to sharpen up his dive skills a little bit. While the boys were busy diving, Bren and I were busy getting one hour full-body massages at Veronica’s downtown. You MUST visit them if you ever visit playa. For 50 USD we were able to get a “couples massage” that means we paid 25 dollars apiece and you can’t find that here in town. It was a clean and friendly place and the massage was FABULOUS!
We also enjoyed a litte time here...
Doing This...
This...
David Hasselhoff...you better watch yo' self :-)
This...
and a little of this...
The snorkeling equipment was free and although I am not a huge fan of the salt water we did enjoy venturing out to see what kind of underwater treasures we could find. The water temperature was just as awesome as the pool temperature.
I decided to get me some of these...Which made doing my hair a lot easier for the first 3 or 4 days!
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For the most part we spent just about all 6 days just soaking in the sun, sipping on fruity drinks and relaxing. We didn't do any excursions on this trip besides Andy's diving. I am quite content just hanging out by the pool.
Every evening after "Happy Hour" which was from 2:30 to 6 we showered and headed into town. I already mentioned earlier that Playa comes alive at night...and its just to dern hot to go in the middle of the day. Here are some of the shots we took while roaming around downtown.
Before dinner one night...
We didn't eat at Carlos'n Charlies but we sure did stop and use their photo booth :-)
This is a silly picture I know...and I am only making out with this Miller Lite because it's the only one I could find and if I drink beer at home, this is what I like. Andy bought it for me.
Funky Diva Skeleton...
Senor Frogs Apparel store...too bad I didnt buy anything...
"Sombrero Time"...Funniest thing about this picture is that 7 years ago in Cabo San Lucas on our honeymoon we to took the EXACT same picture...all the way down to the braids. I will have to scan it into this post if I have time!
Bren and James
How many times in your life do you see a Drugs and Deli on the street? Interesting combination dont ya think?
Sweet shot of me and the hubs...
I wanted to pack these chairs in my suitcase and bring them home...they were so chic and cute...perfect on a large outdoor patio...ahh the dreams I dream up :-)
Bren and I in what we called the "Alice In Wonderland Chairs" at this really fancy, swanky place
On the pier...and it was windy
I leave you with another favorite picture of us! This vacation was a delight! The time we got to spend together was much needed, especially right before a busy football season and school year. A very special THANKS to my Mom and Dad for sending us. It was the BEST graduation present a girl could ask for. If you are in the mood for a tropical Mexican get-a-way I do recommend Playa Del Carmen...you will not be disappointed!
PS...DON'T drink anything but bottled water! No tea, No fountain sodas and No ice!
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